Biblical Giving: For Mature Audiences Only – Part 4
May 26, 2002
THE RESULTS OF GIVING
(Acts 4:32-5:11, p. 1081-1082)
INTRODUCTION
(Show video of Katherine and Linda Brooker testimony)
The message this morning is about the results of giving.
When Robert and I went over to the Brooker’s this past week, we learned a lot about our roots here at the Christian Church of Clarendon Hills. Katherine and Linda gave us a tour of their home, and they told us a lot of things I never knew about the early years. They led us down to their basement – which, I learned, is the very place where this church was birthed – through a weekly small group Bible study. Fifteen people or so would sit down there on folding chairs. The old pump organ that was to accompany the worship songs they sang still sits along the wall. The counter where refreshments were served is still in its place. The checkered tile floor is the same today as it was back then. I could almost hear the singing and the laughter from one of those meetings as I stood in that place.
What is so significant to me is how people like the Brookers and many others gave in those early years. That original small group Bible study of 15 gave of themselves physically and financially for the church to be formed.
Other Christians in the area also gave so that they could purchase their first building in Brookfield. These people made sacrifices so others could have a place to hear about Jesus – so others could have a “church family” – so that wonderful thing called biblical community could be realized - a place where no one had to stand alone.
They gave and we still receive from them today.
For the past few weeks we’ve been talking about a heavy subject – biblical giving. Due to its challenging nature, it is a subject intended for mature audiences.
Week 1 – We learned that to stand together in community we need to adhere to God’s standard of giving – which begins at 10% of our income.
Week 2 - We examined the proper motivations for giving.
Last Week – We saw how God ensures that generous giving will be a mark of biblical community by rewarding those who give.
And today we come to the pinnacle. What this has been building up to all along. This one truth…
God uses generous giving to make sure the church is a community where no one stands alone.
You see, money and wealth have two key competitors.
We could call these rivals Community and Consumption.
Consumption is about me. Community is about we.
Consumption is about individualism.
Community is about reflecting the Oneness of God.
Consumption is one of the biggest threats to a church that desires to be a place where no one stands alone.
In a book called The Connecting Church, Randy Frazee says:
“While in its basic form consumption is both necessary and permissible, when it is practiced in an environment where the individual is sovereign, it can easily become an imbalanced obsession that kills community.” (Randy Frazee, The Connecting Church, p. 177)
How could that be true? How can consumption become an imbalanced obsession that kills community?
Consumption kills community because it makes us…
Think we need things to be happy – not each other
Consumption kills community because it makes us…
View people with suspicion (They might be trying to take these things I’ve purchased to make me happy).
Consumption kills community because it leads us to potentially…
Use lawsuits to protect what we have
All the while those with the greatest needs are neglected
When the original church began in A.D. 30, these kinds of elements were not common in their community.
The very first church countered selfish consumption by just saying, “NO!”
TRANSITION: Let’s look at the positive ways in which that first church said no. First, they said…
1. No longer I, but we.
Acts 4:32 says…
All the believers were one in heart and mind.
Look how they said, “No!”…
No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. (4:32, TNIV)
This is similar to Acts 2:44, which says…
All the believers were together and had everything in common.
They made the ultimate leap from “I-centered living” to “we-centered community.”
Is the Bible advocating communism? No.
The notes (on v. 32-35) in the Life Application Bible point out three ways this type of living in the early church was different from communism:
1) The sharing was voluntary (They weren’t forced to give).
2) It didn’t involve all private property, but only as much as was needed (Clearly among church members there was still such a thing as private ownership of property)
3) Sacrificial sharing was not a membership requirement in order to be part of the church – (The simply gave as they had been blessed).
But even though church members owned property, their attitude toward their things was very interesting.
No one claimed sole ownership - No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own.
They firmly believed God owns everything – everything they had was simply on loan from God. So that led attitude led to an interesting practice.
they shared everything they had
Someone shout out a personal belonging that you are hesitant or reluctant to share. Obviously underwear would rank up there pretty high, but what else? What might make you think twice??
We’d think twice before sharing most of those things wouldn’t we?
If we own something we are completely unwilling to share it with a brother or sister in Christ, we have a different view of things than the first Christians did.
What if we lived in community with the attitude, “What’s mine is God’s. So what’s mine is available if it can help you.”
Would we…
Begin to view our purchases in light of we instead of me?
Become less attached to the things of earth so we can give more of our wealth back to God?
Purchase things in light of how they could benefit others too?
At Deer Creek I had youth sponsors who purchased their houses based on usability for groups of teens to hang out on Sunday nights. Saying, “This is God’s house – we just live here.”
Willow Creek Community Church has a Cars Ministry – People in this ministry fix cars – not for themselves – but so they can give them to people in the church who need them. Like single moms.
Here at CCCH we are already sacrificially giving so that an addition can be built on this building for more people to hear about Christ.
What else could we do? Could we make a list of resources we own and talents we possess that are available to help others in this family? Then link the resource with a need? I’m sure we could if someone would champion it.
Could we have more small groups where people can experience true community and sharing in an authentic way. Yes! If you’ll agree to lead one or join one through the Reconnect Ministry Gre Boldt is launching this fall.
TRANSITION: The first church said “NO!” No longer I, but we – and no one stood alone. There is a second way the church countered selfishness. They also said…
2. No need is too big.
Read v. 33-35
…There we no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands our houses sold them, brought the money from the sales…and it was distributed to anyone who had need. (4:34-35, TNIV)
There were no needy persons among them because no need was too big.
They saw needs of others in their church family as their opportunity to offer help.
They saw needs of others and did something about it.
1 John 3:16-18 - 16We know what real love is because Christ gave up his life for us. And so we also ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters. 17But if anyone has enough money to live well, and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help—how can God’s love be in that person?
18Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions. (NLT)
So if a person…needs food – has a furnace go out – has a flooded basement – has a car break down – or even needs to borrow a dictionary – the church jumps in and helps.
Someone once said, “Generosity has more to do with the size of a person’s heart than the size of their bank account.”
So we had better make sure our hearts are big.
Bennett Cerf related the touching story about a bus that was bumping along a back road in the South. In one seat an older gentleman sat holding a bunch of fresh flowers. Across the aisle was a young girl whose eyes came back, again and again to the man’s flowers. The time came for the old man to get off. Impulsively he thrust the flowers into the girl’s lap. “I can see you love the flowers,” he explained, “and I think my wife would like for you to have them. I’ll tell her I gave them to you.”
The girl accepted the flowers, then watched the old man get off the bus and walk through the gate of a small cemetery. (From www.preachingplus.com)
Talk about generosity from a big heart.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there were so many big hearted people here that…
There were no needy persons among us?
As a church we want to make sure no one stands alone, but that also means each of us must make sure we don’t stand alone. We have to take a step ourselves to make sure we are living in community so our needs (if they arise) will be known by others.
ILLUS – I was reading a story recently that a pastor in Texas wrote about a family in his church. This family son had been in a car accident and was in the hospital for three days. Out shopping one night they ran into another couple from the church. This family started expressing their disappointment with the church while the couple listened. While one of the pastors stopped in for a visit when their son was in the hospital, no one else from the church really took a deep interest in them. They said they were thinking about leaving the church for one that would be more caring.
The couple was sad that this family had to go through this experience alone and they expressed their sorrow to the mother and father. They also asked them if they were a part of a Bible Study group or something similar to that. The family admitted that their involvement was pretty much limited to Sunday morning worship.
The couple gently encouraged them to stick with the church and look into finding an existing Home Bible study group to be involved in. But the family responded rather unenthusiastically.
If they go to another church and just limit their involvement to Sunday mornings, will the next church seem any more caring? (Adapted from The Connecting Church, by Randy Frazee, p. 223)
No one standing alone also means making your needs known in community – so giving can take place when you need it too.
TRANSITION: One last way the first church countered selfishness. They said…
3. No artificial displays of generosity.
People were selling land and houses. Chapter 4 ends by mentioning the generosity of Barnabus. Read v. 36-37.
But then you have chapter 5. The story of Ananias and Sapphira.
Begin story from The Message
Ananias sold property and pretended to give the full amount, but only gave a part of it. It was an artificial display of generosity. Perhaps he thought this gift would make him more respected or more highly revered in the community. Not so. Peter said…
“Ananias, how did Satan get you to lie to the Holy Spirit and secretly keep back part of the price of the field?” (5:3, The Message)
The way Ananias and Sapphira gave was selfish. They wanted the recognition - it destroys community. The Holy Spirit wouldn’t stand for it.
Continue reading story – to the finish
Dishonesty, greed and covetousness are destructive to biblical community. They prevent the Holy Spirit from working effectively.
Of course, all lying is bad. But when we lie to try to deceive God and his people concerning the truth about our relationship with Him and with them – we destroy our testimony about Christ – we lie and say the truth is not in us.
It is better not to give at all than to give in such a way that community is undermined and destroyed.
Pretense isn’t tolerated by the Holy Spirit. You may not drop dead, but if you give just to appear generous you damage community just the same.
In community no one is to be marginalized, no one is to be made to feel inferior – no one stands alone. And false giving puts things like this in jeopardy.
So, when you give – don’t do it to be seen – don’t give if your heart isn’t excited about it – and don’t make it look like you’re giving more than you are.
TRANSITION: Generous giving is something God uses to solidify authentic biblical community.
CONCLUSION
The Associated Press featured this story on March 20:
Last week, Kevin Shelton went to the mall in Tampa, Florida. Instead of going to shop for himself, Kevin went to the mall to give away about $7,000. He strapped wads of cash to his body and strolling among the shoppers handing out one dollar bills. In two hours, the 32 year old gave away the money with only smiles, hugs, and “thank yous” to show for his time.
Shelton made his money buying and selling real estate in the Tampa area. He says giving away the money is what he chooses to do and added, “I think it’s making an impact.” Most shoppers took the money and walked away giggling. Some recipients said they would give the free gift to someone else in need. Shelton says a few people took time to chide him for not giving the money to the truly needy.
Shelton began giving away cash last year hoping to brighten people’s days and to spark generosity. He says he never keeps track of what he gives away, but guesses he has passed out tens of thousands of dollars.
Kevin Shelton’s generosity is a good example of the seeming paradox that we must give to receive. He doesn’t give away cash to build a bigger fortune.
Kevin gives what he cannot keep to gain something he cannot lose. —Associated Press, Wednesday, March 20, 2002 (Found at www.preachingplus.com)
He values people over things.
A popular quotation says -
“We love things and use people instead of loving people and using things.”
Where do you land on this scale?
____________________________________________________
I love things I love people
and use people and use things
Goal is to move to the right –
How to get there
Let God have all your stuff
Ask Him how you could make an impact
Begin with the 10% standard
Look for more opportunities to make an impact
